Bloomberg leads mass coalition declaring support for Paris climate deal
Led by former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, nearly 1,000 business and government leaders declared Monday their intent to honor the Paris climate accord, days after US President Donald Trump announced a US exit from the 190-plus nation pact.
"Today, on behalf of an unprecedented collection of US cities, states, businesses and other organizations, I am communicating to the United Nations and the global community that American society remains committed to achieving the emission reductions we pledged to make in Paris in 2015," said Bloomberg in a statement.
"I am confident the broad array of leaders and organizations that have signed today's declaration, and many others that will join in the days to come, will work together to reduce US carbon emissions by 26 percent by 2025, just as we had pledged in Paris."
Big names like Apple, Google and Microsoft are in the group, called "We Are Still In," along with more than 100 mayors and governors and a range of colleges and universities.
A full list of the signatories is available at wearestillin.org.
A statement by the group calls Trump's decision to pull the US out of the climate accord "a grave mistake that endangers the American public and hurts America's economic security and diplomatic reputation."
It also said "in the absence of leadership from Washington, states, cities, colleges and universities and businesses representing a sizeable percentage of the US economy will pursue ambitious climate goals."
Since Trump's announcement on Thursday, at least 211 mayors adopted the Paris goals for their own cities, and at least 17 governors have released individual statements saying they stand by the Paris deal, agreed in late 2015 by every country in the world except Syria and Nicaragua.
Bloomberg, a billionaire climate advocate, also met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday to tell him the American people intended to uphold the pact.
Bloomberg has also pledged to muster $15 million for the United Nations' climate body, substituting for US funding likely to be axed by Trump.
Bloomberg, 75, was mayor of New York from 2002 to 2013.
He is estimated by Forbes magazine to be the eighth richest person in the world.
© 2017 AFP
